Monrovia – House Speaker Bhofal Chambers, who is on record for laying squarely the economic hardship the country now faces on former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has again made another call for government to go after people who he thinks caused the problem.
Report by Henry Karmo, [email protected]
The Speaker believes that if the George Weah-led government is to succeed in delivering promises made to the Liberia people, there is a need to take some “hard decisions,’’ regardless of who is affect by those decisions.
“We need to take some decisions regardless of the personality, religion, and tribe. We need to safe Liberia; we need to go after people who created this mess. Simple instruction given to the President by the Legislature: ‘Go and print new bank notes and remove the mutilated notes from circulation.’ Ellen and her officials went and printed money in billions and maintained the old bank notes.
“We heard that some of our money was printed in Lebanon; we get information that people bring our legal currency in containers for their personal use. We need to go after people who created this mess,’’ Chambers said.
Speaker Chambers made the statements over the weekend when the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) received two members of the Unity Party legislative caucus, who joined the CDC.
Recently during a press conference, Chambers told journalists that former President Sirleaf and her Cabinet are responsible for the economy challenges the country is facing at the moment. He also recommended only the use of the United States dollars and not the Liberian dollars. He received a lot of criticisms for this proposal.
Speaking after they had declared their intentions to officially join CDC, Representatives Crayton Duncan (UP-District #1 Sinoe County) and Jay Nagbe Sloh (UP-District #2 Sinoe County) said, their decision to join the ruling establishment is to help the government achieves.
According to them, if the government fails, ordinary Liberians will suffer. For Duncan, he disclosed that the CDC is a familiar terrain while he was in the UP, he provided several undercover assistance to CDC.
As for Rep. Sloh, he promised in the next six months, to lure 20 more members of the House of Representatives and Senate to join the CDC.
Before their membership declaration, CDC and UP were tied in the number of Representatives 13 to 13 but as it now stands, UP is short two, which could hamper their chances in terms of decision making in the 54th Legislature.
“We cannot continue to sit on the fence and criticize. We need to join forces to ensure this government succeeds and our country develops,’’ Rep. Sloh said.
The two men from the UP were accompanied by Senator Milton Teahjay, another UP stewart, who did not join the CDC, but said his heart is with the CDC.
The ruling establishment also received as new member, Papa Joseph Kolleh of the All Liberia Party (ALP-District #7 Bong County).
In response to their declaration of membership, CDC Chairman Mulbah Morlu welcomed the folks from the UP and ALP. He cautioned others to do as the others have done or risk being in opposition for the next 12 years.